Iona Gaels vs West Virginia Mountaineers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Iona vs West Virginia NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Morgantown.

Iona vs West Virginia Prediction

Planning on watching today's Gaels and Mountaineers game? Catch the action at WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, WV, as the Mountaineers hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this non-conference game currently have West Virginia as the -14.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 147 points.

Iona vs. West Virginia Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Iona Gaels at West Virginia Mountaineers
Where: Morgantown at WVU Coliseum
Date: Wednesday, November 20th
Betting Odds WVIR -14.5, IONA +646 | WVIR -1042 O/U 147

Gaels Preview: No Pressure for Iona as Away Dogs

Iona picked up a 62-59 win over Vermont on Friday, November 15th. The Gaels were +4 point underdogs but managed to cover the spread with the victory. The total points for the game were 121, falling short of the O/U line of 135.5.

Iona was trailing 31-23 at halftime but turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring Vermont 39-28 to secure the win.

Gaels Offense Breakdown

In their last game, the Gaels struggled offensively, shooting just 36.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 42.1%. They hit only 26.3% from beyond the arc, connecting on 5 of 19 attempts, and went 15 for 23 from the free-throw line, good for 65.2%.

Iona managed 19 offensive rebounds and finished with just 8 assists. Dejour Reaves led the way with 22 points, while James Patterson and TJ Long each added 18. TJ Hurley contributed 16 points, hitting 3 of 5 from deep and shooting 66.7% overall.

Gaels Team Defense

Defensively, Iona Gaels put on a strong performance, holding their opponents to just 59 points on 36% shooting from the field. They limited the damage inside, allowing 42% shooting on two-point attempts (16/38).

Iona also did well in defending the three-point line, where their opponents shot just 26% (5/19). They sent the other team to the free-throw line 23 times, where they converted 15 attempts for 65%.

Mountaineers Preview: Can the Mountaineers Hold Strong at Home?

West Virginia Mountaineers Recent Game/Games

West Virginia’s season took a tough turn on Friday, November 15th, as they fell 86-62 to the Panthers on the road. Entering the game as +7.5 point underdogs, the Mountaineers not only lost but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended up at 148, just over the pre-game line of 147.5.

West Virginia found themselves in a deep hole early, trailing 44-22 at halftime. While they managed to score 40 points in the 2nd half, they couldn’t close the gap, allowing 42 points to Pittsburgh after the break.

Mountaineers Offense Breakdown

West Virginia's offense struggled in their last game, scoring just 62 points on 38.7% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 43.5%, and they hit only 20.7% of their three-point attempts, going 6-for-29 from deep.

Damian Dunn led the way with 23 points, hitting 4 of 7 threes, while Jonathan Powell added 16 points, connecting on 4 of 10 from beyond the arc. The Mountaineers also struggled at the free-throw line, making just 8 of 15 attempts (53.3%).

Mountaineers Team Defense

West Virginia's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 86 points on 48% shooting from the field. The Mountaineers allowed 58% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 18 of 31 from inside the arc.

From three-point range, West Virginia's opponents shot 37%, making 10 of 27 attempts. The Mountaineers also sent the other team to the free-throw line 26 times, where they converted 20 free throws for a 76% success rate. West Virginia gave up 8 offensive rebounds in the game.

Gaels vs Mountaineers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Iona has a straight up record of 3-7 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 4-6. The team averaged 70 points per game in these games.
Across the Mountaineers last ten home games, the team averaged 66 points per game while allowing 82. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 3-7, while going 0-10 straight-up.
Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Gaels have gone 2-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
Although the Mountaineers have a strong straight up record in their last five games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the spread going 2-3.